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Thursday, August 11, 2016

He Named Me Malala will break your heart and inspire you

In a Nutshell: This
true story is one that needs to be told. Unfortunately, the film is underwhelming considering the importance of
the subject material. It is informative,
but not engrossing enough to create raving fans or high box office sales.

The film is a powerful educational tool for teenagers and
even comes with free discussion guides for teachers to use in a classroom
setting. #WithMalala Hopefully, teens, especially girls, will be
inspired and motivated to make a positive difference in the world.

Uplifting theme:

Stand
up for what is right. Stand up for
rights.

Countless
unsung heroes have paid the price for freedom.

“It’s
better to live like a lion for one day than to live like a slave for a
hundred years.” – Malala

“It is
so hard to get things done in this world.
You try and too often it doesn’t work, but you have to continue and
you never give up.” – Malala

“Change
matters.” – Malala’s father

Education
is power. Malala’s father stated,
“When you educate a girl, it transforms her. It transforms our world.” So true.

“There’s
a moment when you have to choose whether to be silent or to stand up.” -
Malala

Things I liked:

It was
smart to use animation sequences to separate the past from the present, as
the film jumps back and forth in time.

Malala’s
father is truly remarkable. The film explains that his family pedigree
only included the names of men for 300 years, until he was the first to
add his daughter’s name to it. He has such a better way of seeing the
world than is common in his culture.
He has done a lot for women’s rights and forward thinking.

It’s
impressive to hear the profound things Malala says and then remember that
she is still a teenager. She received
the Nobel Peace Prize and was listed in the Top 100 Most Influential
People by Time magazine.

I
thought it was interesting that, although Malala would be killed if she
returned to Pakistan, she still wanted to go back. She said, “I miss the dirty streets.”

There
are so many positive lessons to be gleaned from Malala’s story and
life. Her father stammers sometimes
and she said that she was impressed with his persistence and never let his
speech impediment slow him down.
She suggested to him that he simply choose another word when he
stumbles on a particular word, but instead, he persists until he finally
gets it right. Impressive man.

Things I didn’t like:

Sometimes
it’s hard to understand Malala’s accent.

It
took me awhile to get into the movie, but by the end, I was glad I spent
the time to learn more about Malala and her story.

The
beautiful home in England where Malala’s family now lives and all of the
media coverage make you wonder who it was
who pushed for all of the attention and how much money was made
from her story. Some people have
been critical of Malala’s father, saying that he orchestrated all of the
coverage in order to gain money and notoriety. When confronted with that criticism, Malala
stated, “My father gave me the name Malala. He did not make me Malala. I chose this life.” Good answer.

It
feels more like a documentary than a feature film.

Malala’s
little brother talks about how she slaps him every day. She explains it’s a loving gesture. I understand the filmmakers were trying
to show her playful relationship with her siblings, but considering the film is
about violence, I wouldn’t have highlighted that interaction.

A clip
shows Malala saying, “I believe there is no difference between a man and
woman,” but then immediately says, “A woman is more powerful than a
man.” Huh? While Malala says some very insightful
things in the film, that inconsistent logic shouldn’t have been included.

There isn't very much humor, so the movie can feel very heavy after awhile.

Interesting and
inspiring lines:

“Dear
sisters, don’t be fooled by superstitions.” – radio host who inspired
Malala as a young girl

“School
was my home.” – Malala (Her father
was a school teacher, so she spent many hours playing and studying in the
school where he taught.)

“I
think she’s not independent and free because she’s not educated.” – Malala
said this about her mother

“I
think she’s addicted to books.” – Malala’s brother said this about her. Later, she explains “One book can change
the world.”

“I saw
her completion in me and I saw my completion in her.” – Malala’s father
said this about when he first met his wife.

“God
is not that tiny.” – Malala

An
interviewer asked Malala’s father who shot her. He answered, “It was not a person. It was an ideology.”

In
speaking about the Taliban, Malala stated, “They were not about
faith. They were about power.”

“If my
rights are violated, and I keep silent, I should better die than live.” –
Malala’s father

“Let
us pick up our books and our pens.
They are our most powerful weapons.” – Malala

“A
conscience exists in the world that extends beyond all boundaries.” –
Malala’s father

TIPS FOR PARENTS

Young
children may be bored. The topics
are serious, political, and often dark.

There
is a scene that describes when Malala and some of her classmates were shot
on a school bus. You see some blood
on the bus, which could be frightening for young children.

There
is some live footage of past events, but most of the violent history is
shown in animation.